Five Factors
Five distinct factors indicate how a person is likely to benefit from coaching—whether from a professional coach, manager-coach, or peer:
- They embrace a growth mindset. This is a desire to learn, grow, and shift the members’ behaviors. The bottom line: The team member needs a willingness to grow and change.
- They request and accept feedback. While a coach can provide feedback during a coaching session, getting feedback on the desired behavior changes is critical to getting the most from coaching. This feedback may come from a manager, peer, direct report, friend, or family member. The team member must know what they are doing well and what is off-track about their goals.
- They welcome a challenge. Adults can learn much from taking on challenging assignments and reflecting on experiences. Team members who take advantage of opportunities to stretch outside their comfort zone can use those opportunities to try out and perfect new and different behaviors.
- They seek support. Support is essential. This may come in the form of an accountability partner (a person who helps focus on action plans and goals), a person who will listen with empathy and curiosity to learning and growth experiences or a book or training program that provides additional information.
- They invest time and energy. Team members who make the time (away from distractions and competing priorities) to “do the work” in a coaching relationship get the most out of it. This requires meeting regularly with a coach, following through on action plans, and reflecting on events, circumstances, and actions to gain the most from them. (Bennett, 2024, 16)
Ten Characteristics
Coaching can be beneficial for a wide range of individuals, but certain groups may particularly benefit from a coaching approach:
- Emerging Leaders: Individuals new to leadership roles or being groomed for leadership positions can benefit from coaching to develop their leadership skills and confidence.
- High-Potential Employees: Those identified as having the potential to take on more significant roles within the organization can use coaching to maximize their strengths and prepare for future challenges.
- Underperforming Employees: Employees struggling to meet expectations can benefit from coaching to identify the root causes of their performance issues and develop strategies to improve.
- Career Changers: Individuals transitioning to a new role or industry can use coaching to navigate the change, build new skills, and adapt to new environments.
- Teams and Groups: Coaching is not limited to individuals. Teams can benefit from coaching to improve collaboration, communication, and overall team dynamics.
- Entrepreneurs and Business Owners: Coaching can help entrepreneurs and business owners develop their vision, set strategic goals, and navigate the business’s complexities.
- Mid-Career Professionals: Those looking to advance their careers or seeking new challenges can benefit from coaching to clarify their goals, develop new skills, and create a path for career progression.
- Executives and Senior Leaders: Even experienced leaders can benefit from coaching to refine their leadership style, address specific challenges, and continue personal and professional growth.
- Individuals Facing Specific Challenges: Anyone facing particular challenges, such as work-life balance issues, career transitions, or personal development goals, can find value in coaching.
- Students and Recent Graduates: Coaching can help students and recent graduates transition from academia to the workforce, develop career plans, and build essential professional skills.
Coaching can be used to support team members at various stages of their careers and with various challenges and opportunities. The key is that for coaching to be effective, the team member must be receiving to the support of their manager-coach or professional coach. I’d love to know your thoughts, so please leave your comments below.
The Manager’s Guide to Coaching for Change
For more information about coaching, consult my book, The Manager’s Guide to Coaching for Change (2024).
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Photo by cottonbro studio
© 2024, John L. Bennett. All Rights Reserved.